Local community charity Second Genesis is hosting a very special anniversary event this month. The Leicester Peace & Love Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on Saturday, June 13 at the Leicester Clock Tower. The free, open-air festival is set to run between noon and 6pm.
Origins of the Festival
The event was originally conceived by local festival organiser and entrepreneur Aadam Muhammad after he read news reports of significant problems with knife crime occurring in Nottingham in 2006. He said: "It was a tragic and challenging time back then because the level of community concern and fear was also growing in Leicester. There were growing concerns that the knife crime violence in Nottingham could spread to Leicester and begin to affect our communities too."
"I approached several colleagues and said that we need to try and do something preventative to diminish the increasing community tension and create a peaceful outcome. That’s how the Leicester Peace & Love Festival was born and I still believe that it’s just as relevant in 2026 as it was in 2006."
Live Performances and Speakers
Live appearances on the day will include fabulous local performers, DJs and artists such as Agrona O’Connor, Sly and Estar, Leicester Amika Choir, Total X-Ta-C, Leicester Vocal Tech, Jabar Khalid, Sarah Carter, Parisa East, Angel Dance Crew, Daz Lynch, DJ Wardy and Korrine Sky, The Fugilists, Richard Samson and Manye Fi, who will all be performing original music and stage shows.
Community speakers Kamla Pattni, from Celebrating Our Similarities, and Leicester’s very first African heritage local MP, Claudia Webbe, will also be making a special appearance with messages of unity, harmony and togetherness. A variety of local community stalls will also be present selling goods and providing valuable community-based information.
Co-hosting with Africa Fest
The anniversary event will be twice as special this year as organisers will be co-hosting it with the award-winning Africa Fest, which the charity also manages. "We’re so very proud of our award-winning status for Africa Fest as it shows that our efforts to bring the beauty of African heritage culture to the wider communities is truly being valued and appreciated by all," he concluded.
